4 Flu Myths Busted

Every fall, millions of flu vaccines are produced in order to protect us from catching the nasty virus. While medical professionals encourage everyone to get their annual flu shot, many buy into the long-held myths about the vaccine and miss opportunities to avoid getting sick.

Here is the truth about these myths.

Myth #1: The flu is only spread by sneezing.Germs are pretty easy to pass around and flu is really contagious. It’s very easy for one child to give it to another child and the next thing you know, they bring it home.

Myth #2: You should wait until it’s cold outside to get your flu vaccine.Some people are worried that if you get the shot too soon, it will wear off by the time winter gets here. A vaccine received as early as August will protect throughout the entire flu season.

Myth #3 – Flu vaccines don’t protect you from current strains. From the H1N1 scare in 2009 to swine flu to the bird flu, each year, it seems, there is a new strain making headlines. But researchers track the most recent, most dangerous strains, and work to stay one step ahead of it.

Myth #4 – You can actually catch the flu from the flu vaccine. This is probably the most common myth out there, but it simply is not true.

There are two types of mercury. 1. Methyl mercury is dangerous. This is not in any vaccines.. 2. Ethyl mercury is used in some vaccines. It is a preservative used in multidose vials of vaccine to keep the liquid sterile (no bacteria growing).

Single doses of vaccine (one dose in a prefilled syringe) have no mercury for at least 12 years. There is no scientific evidence that ethyl mercury is dangerous to humans.